Garment pockets



Nov. 15, 1966 w. F. EVANS ETAL 3,234,303

GARMENT POCKETS Original Filed Dec. 22, 1958 INVENTORSI M2175? F fva/vs J E/(MP/Efi 2'7. f/HL GY dM www arrow/5Y5 United States Patent 3,284,868 GARMENT POCKETS Walter F. Evans and Richard H. Hall, both of 508 Sudekum Bldg, Nashville, Tenn.

Original application Dec. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 781,981, now Patent No. 3,137,865, dated June 23, 1964. Divided and this application Jan. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 339,454

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-247) This invention relates to garment pockets and more particularly to improvements in trouser pocket constructions.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 781,981 filed December 22, 1958 for Adhesively Formed and/or Attached Garment Pocket, now Patent No. 3,137,865.

A major object of this invention is to provide a novel garment pocket which is characterized by improved durability and quality, simplicity of construction, and economy of manufacture.

In carrying out a preferred form of the present invention, the pocket is delimited only by the inner side of the exterior garment panel and a single horizontally folded cloth pocket panel which is adhesively joined in overlapping relation to itself along the pocket side edges and to the inner side of the garment panel. In comparison, prior art pockets are customarily fabricated separately of the garment by stitching one or more cloth panels together and then hanging the completely made up pocket interiorly of the garment in proper relation to an access opening in the garment. Employing part of the garment panel to form part of the pocket according to this invention, however, offers an appreciable savings in material.

Accordingly, it is a further object of this invention to provide a novel garment pocket construction wherein part of the exterior garment panel is employed to form the pocket, thereby reducing the amount of pocket panel material needed in comparison with pockets of conventional construction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a garment pocket with a novel stay-down construction which restrains the pocket from being turned inside out, but which still provides a free swinging pocket bottom that offers the wearer the same comfort and serviceability as freeswinging conventional pocket constructions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel garment pocket construction which is easy to manufacture and which eliminates the necessity of employing skilled operators in the fabrication of sewing machine made pockets.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel garment pocket construction that eliminates bulky thicknesses which are found in sewn seams and which detract from the finished appearance of garments that are required to be laundered and pressed.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partially broken away perspective view of a trouser side pocket constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear interior elevation of a trouser hip pocket constructed according to principles of the invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the reference numeral designates the upper portion of a left front exterior trouser panel having an inner side 11 and made of a woven or knitted fabric such as, for example, cotton, synthetics, or wool. Panel 10, according to the present 3,284,868 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 invention, cooperates with'a cloth pocket panel 12 to form a side pocket 13 having a side access opening 14.

As shown, panel 10 is notched at 15 to provide a marginal edge 16 extending along the outer side of access opening 14. Edge 16 is inturned and covered by a fabric facing strip 17 preferably made from the same material as panel 10. Facing strip 17 extends between the upper and lower extremities of access opening 14 and is adhered to edge 16 and inner side 11 by a film or coating 18 of suitable adhesive material such as, for example, pyroxylin. Similarly, the surface of edge 16 facing panel 10 is joined to inner side 11 by an adhesive coating (not shown).

.With continued reference to FIGURE 1, pocket 12 preferably consists of a single piece of pocket fabric which is horizontally folded at 19 to provide a forward pocket wall 20 and an overlapping rearward pocket wall 21. Wall 20 terminates in an upper horizontally extending marginal edge 22 which is securely joined to the inner side 11 of panel 10 below access opening 14 solely by a plastic adhesive strip or coating 23. Rearward wall 21 is adhesively joined to forward wall 20 along side pocket seams 24 and 25 which extend only below marginal edge 22. This defines a pocket bottom indicated at 29.

As shown, rearward wall 21 extends above forward wall 20 and is adhesively joined above marginal edge 22 to the inner side 11 of panel 10 along opposite side edges 27 and 23. Edge 27 nearest to the center of the trouser extends to the uppermost limit of pocket 13, and edge 28 nearest the side of the garment terminates at notch 15 immediately below access opening 14. The edge of rearward wall 21 facing and coextensive with marginal edge 16 thus defines access opening 14.

An important feature of this invention is the semiswung construction of the pocket which is effected by adhesively securing forward wall 20 to panel 10 only along its marginal edge 22. In this pocket construction, it is clear from FIGURE 1 that below marginal edge 22, rearward wall 22 is joined only to forward wall 20 along seams 24 and 25 which defines the opposite side edges of pocket bottom 29. 'Above marginal edge 22, rearward wall 21 is joined only to the inner side 11 of panel 10 at 27 and 28.

From the foregoing construction, it is clear that pocket bottom 29 is freely swingable relative to panel 10 and that pocket 13 is delimited by the forward and rearward Wall portions of panel 12 and also by the portion of inner side 11 which is above marginal edge 22. The pocket construction of this invention therefore offers a considerable savings in the amount of pocket material needed. In addition, only pocket bottom 29 can be pulled inside out and such inversion is minimized by spacing marginal edge 22 a sufiicient distance below notch 15.

As a desirable refinement, a reinforcing patch 31 may be folded over the lower edge of the pocket bottom and similarly adhered to rearward wall 21 and forward wall 20. Patch 31 stifiens pocket bottom 29 to further restrain inversion thereof. A second facing strip 33 adhesively secured to rearward wall 21 opposite from strip 17 completes the pocket.

In fabricating the pocket of FIGURE 1, the adhesive in the form of strips, coatings, or films is first applied to the various parts as previously described. This adhesive as mentioned before preferably is a plastic material and may be either of the thermosetting or thermoplastic type. If it is the latter, it is clear that the softening temperature is above normal laundering and ironing temperatures. If the adhesive is cement and is to be brushed or sprayed on, it can be in the form of a water suspension of finely cornminuted plastic or a solution thereof in a volatile solvent according to conventional plastics. Mixtures of plastics can also be employed, involving both thermosetting and thermoplastic mixtures, as desired.

After the adhesive is applied, the pieces are assembled in the manner shown in FIGURE 1 and then are simultaneously heated to effect plastic welding. As a result, the pocket is completed without stitching. This is especially important in the present invention, since no unsightly stitches will thus appear on the exterior surface of panel 10.

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate a hip pocket 40 constructed according to this invention and formed by a pocket 41 and a rear trouser panel 42. Panel 41 is folded horizontally to provide a forward wall 44 and a rearward wall 45 overlapping wall 44. Forward wall 44 faces the inner side 46 of trouser panel 42 and terminates in an upper horizontal marginal edge 47 below a top pocket access opening 48. Edge 47 is adhesively joined to inner side 46 in a manner similar to that described in the embodiment of FIGURE 1 to provide a pocket bottom 49.

Below marginal edge 47, rearward wall 45 is adhesively joined only to forward wall 44 along seams 50 and 51 at opposite sides of pocket 40. Rearward wall 45 extends above access opening 48 and is stitched or adhesively secured along an upper horizontal seam 52 to panel 42. Between seam 52 and marginal edge 47, rearward wall 45 is solely adhesively joined to inner side 46 along seams 54 and 55 defining opposite side edges of pocket 40.

From the foregoing construction, it will be appreciated that pocket 40 is delimited by panel 41 and also by the portion of trouser panel 42 extending above marginal edge 47. Accordingly, an appreciable savings in the amount of pocket panel material is obtained similar to the side pocket construction of FIGURE 1. In addition, it is clear that pocket bottom 49 is freely swingable relative to panel 42 and that inversion of bottom 49 is minimized by spacing edge 47 at a sufiicient distance below access opening 48.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a trouser made of cloth fabric, an exterior front trouser panel having a one-piece cloth panel cooperating with the inner side of said trouser panel to form an inside pocket having a side access opening, said cloth panel being folded onto itself along a horizontal edge to provide a forward pocket wall and a rearward pocket wall overlapping and extending above said forward pocket wall to define with said trouser panel said side access opening, means joining the upper marginal edge of said forward wall to the inner side of said trouser panel, means joining the portion of said rearward wall extending above said forward wall to the inner side of said trouser panel along the side edges of said pocket, means adhesively joining the portion of said rearward wall extending below said upper marginal edge to said forward wall along the side edges of said pocket, said rearward pocket wall being joined to said trouser panel only above said forward wall and said forward wall being joined to said trouser panel only along said upper marginal edge to provide a pocket bottom that is freely swingable relative to said trouser panel, said means for respectively joining said forward and rearward pocket walls to said trouser panel consisting only of adhesive means, a reinforcing fabric panel folded over said pocket bottom along a horizontal edge and extending the entire width of said pocket bottom over oppositely facing surfaces of said forward and rearward pocket walls, means adhesively joining said reinforcing panel to said pocket bottom substantially along the entire interfaces between said reinforcing panel and said forward and rearward walls, the marginal edge of said trouser panel extending along one side of said access opening being folded inwardly and adhered to the trouser panel inner side, and a facing strip made of material similar to said trouser panel and being adhesively joined to the inner side of said trouser panel and to said inwardly folded marginal edge in overlapping relation thereto.

2. In a trouser made of cloth fabric, an exterior rear trouser panel and a one-piece cloth panel cooperating with the inner side of said trouser panel to form an inside rear pocket, an access opening formed in said trouser panel for said pocket, said cloth panel being folded onto itself along a horizontal edge to form a forward pocket wall and a rearward pocket wall overlapping and extending above said forward pocket wall and said access opening, the upper edge of said forward wall being spaced appreciably below said access opening to delimit only the bottom of said pocket, said pocket being delimited by said trouser panel in the region between said access opening and the upper edge of said forward wall, said forward pocket wall being disposed between the inner side of said trouser panel and said rearward pocket wall, first means joining the upper marginal edge of said forward pocket wall to the inner side of said trouser panel vertically below said access opening, second means joining the portion of said rearward wall extending above said forward wall to the inner side of said-trouser panel along the side edges of said pocket, third means joining the upper end of said rearward wall to the inner side of said trouser panel above said access opening, and fourth means joining the portion of said rearward wall extending below the upper marginal edge of said forward wall to the marginal side edges of said forward wall, said rearward pocket wall being joined to said trouser panel only above said forward wall and said forward wall being joined to said trouser panel only along said upper marginal edge to provide a pocket bottom that is freely swingable relative to said trouser panel, said first, second, and fourth means consisting only of adhesive layers, the layer of said first means being applied between and contacting said upper marginal edge and said panel, the layers of said second means being applied between and contacting the marginal side edges of said rearward wall and said panel, and the layers of said fourth means being applied between and contacting opposed marginal side edges of said forward and rearward walls whereby fraying-of said upper marginal edge and the side edges of said forward and rearward walls is resisted.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,033,790 7/1912 Dodshon 2-254 1,423,434 7/1922 Kirk 2247 1,673,573 6/1928 Loomis et al 2275 2,209,197 7/ 1940 Falkovitz 2247 2,209,718 7/ 1940 Falkovitz -1 2247 2,315,814 4/1943 Reidbord et al. 2248 2,394,532 2/1946 Shrnikler 2159 2,436,879 3/1948 Buck 2-248 2,519,126 8/1950 Falk 2247 FOREIGN PATENTS 444,012. 3/1936 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A TROUSER MADE OF CLOTH FABRIC, AN EXTERIOR FRONT TROUSER PANEL HAVING A ONE-PIECE CLOTH PANEL COOPERATING WITH THE INNER SIDE OF SAID TROUSER PANEL TO FORM AN INSIDE POCKET HAVING A SIDE ACCESS OPENING, SAID CLOTH PANEL BEING FOLDED ONTO ITSELF ALONG A HORIZONTAL EDGE TO PROVIDE A FORWARD POCKET WALL AND A REARWARD POCKET WALL OVERLAPPING AND EXTENDING ABOVE SAID FORWARD POCKET WALL TO DEFINE WITH SAID TROUSER PANEL SAID SIDE ACCESS OPENING, MEANS JOINING THE UPPER MARGINAL EDGE OF SAID FORWARD WALL TO THE INNER SIDE OF SAID TROUSER PANEL, MEANS JOINING THE PORTION OF SAID REARWARD WALL EXTENDING ABOVE SAID FORWARD WALL TO THE INNER SIDE OF SAID TROUSER PANEL ALONG THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID POCKET, MEANS ADHESIVELY JOINING THE PORTION OF SAID REARWARD WALL EXTENDING BELOW SAID UPPER MARGINAL EDGE TO SAID FORWARD WALL ALONG THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID POCKET, SAID REARWARD POCKET WALL BEING JOINED TO SAID TROUSER PANEL ONLY ABOVE SAID FORWARD WALL AND SAID FORWARD WALL BEING JOINED TO SAID TROUSER PANEL ONLY ALONG SAID UPPER MARGINAL EDGE TO PROVIDE A POCKET BOTTOM THAT IS FREELY SWINGABLE RELATIVE TO SAID TROUSER PANEL, SAID MEANS FOR RESPECTIVELY JOINING SAID FORWARD AND REARWARD POCKET WALLS TO SAID TROUSER 